Jackson Hill Marina hosted another Wounded Warrior event this past weekend with six combat wounded veterans being treated to fishing fun, good food and the fellowship created from being with peers and a grateful gathering of volunteers and guests. The event was sponsored by Jackson Hill's Patriots Challenge that donates the proceeds from their tournament series to make these events special for everyone in attendance. The event was also sponsored and hosted by members of the Wounded Warrior Association of East Texas operated by VFW Post 6380 of Jasper a 501 (c) (3) public charity.

Most of the teams were able to catch their five fish limit on the first day in spite of the heavy rains that fell in the early morning hours. The second day of fishing was a little tougher on the group but just being out on the water was enough for our heroes. Two of our heroes were SSG Rich Fox Jr. and Sgt Chris Readling stationed at Fort Polk both wounded in Afghanistan serving as Army snipers. This was their first trip to Sam Rayburn and were completely blown away by the experience. "We had no idea of what to expect" they commented, "we are so grateful for everything, the lake is beautiful, the food was awesome, the people have treated us like we are family. We want to come back for the Patriots Challenge in September".

The entire group was treated to a Rib-eye dinner on Friday night along with some special guests that included Woody Harrison San Augustine VFW Post Commander and Chamber of Commerce President and his wife Glenda. Roy James from the Texas Honor and Remember Campaign addressed the group about the Honor and Remember Flag as a new National symbol of respect and remembrance for those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

"We would like to give a special thanks to Dean Perkins of Broaddus and Benny Aylor from Round Rock who added the two additional boats we needed and spent two days as fishing guides for our heroes" said Terry Sympson of Jackson Hill. "These guys created lifetime memories for these soldiers and we cannot thank them enough. Putting on these events would not be possible without the generosity of everyone involved. Host and Wounded Warrior Buck Collins founder of the Wounded Warrior Association of East Texas helps to coordinate the events and understands how much these events help warriors recovering from their injuries and transitioning from soldier to civilian. Buck spent months recovering from traumatic brain injuries while in combat and knows the difficulties these guys face every day."

Patriots Challenge will hold their 2nd annual Championship on September 29th and is expecting a great turn out for this year's fundraising tournament. There will be two divisions the Patriots Division will be open to anyone and everyone with a $200 team entry fee. The Heroes Division will be for teams with at least one Veteran or Active Military Member and will pay $1,000 cash prize with no entry fee. This is designed to get as many Veterans out here as possible. If the team pays the $200 entry fee they can fish both divisions and win an additional $1,000 first place prize.

For sponsor or tournament information contact Terry Sympson at terry@jacksonhill.us and you will be sent the official Patriots Challenge package containing everything you need or you can call him at 936-872-9266